Message from the President
Greetings, fellow Nurse Practitioners -
I am writing today to update you on our progress towards unionization. It is the NPAAU’s goal to be as open, accurate, and transparent as possible in our communications with you, and to keep you as informed as possible about the union’s activities as we continue forward.
Union members and other members of the Nurse Practitioner community have brought a number of questions and concerns to our attention in connection with the recent ALRB hearings and we would like to take this opportunity to address those questions and concerns.
NPAAU has shown, and continues to gain, the support of more than 40% of NPs working at AHS and at Covenant Health.
As you are likely aware, on April 26, 2021, NPAAU applied to the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) to be recognized as the certified bargaining agent for all eligible Nurse Practitioners working at AHS and at Covenant Health.
In order for a certification application to be successful, the application must include proof that the applying union has the support of at least 40% of the eligible employees in that bargaining unit. It is standard practice for the ALRB to investigate every application and to verify whether or not it actually shows the required support of at least 40% of the eligible employees.
NPAAU’s application for AHS included a complete list of our active members working at AHS, and NPAAU’s application for Covenant health included a complete list of our active members working at Covenant Health. The ALRB investigated each of NPAAU’s applications and, for both AHS and Covenant Health, the ALRB officer’s report confirmed that NPAAU had successfully shown the support of more than 40% of the eligible Nurse Practitioners at each employer.
NPAAU defended our certification applications.
There were objections to both of NPAAU’s certification applications. NPAAU’s certification applications could not proceed until those objections were addressed in hearings.
AHS objected to the exact wording of the bargaining unit that NPAAU applied for; AHS wanted to add wording clearly excluding Nurse Practitioners who perform managerial duties more than 50% of the time. Along those same lines, AHS objected to four NPAAU members being included in the application because, in their opinion, those employees performed managerial duties more than 50% of the time. Although NPAAU prepared arguments to defend those employees and the wording of the bargaining unit, these two objections from AHS were relatively minor, and together were set to take up only a day (likely less) of hearings.
The main objections came from UNA (or for the AHS application, UNA acting as agent for Kevin Huntley). UNA raised the same three objections to both the AHS and Covenant Health applications:
- UNA alleged that NPAAU did not show the support of 40% of the eligible employees in each bargaining unit. In their filed objections, UNA claimed that Nurse Practitioners were confused and that NPAAU members didn’t understand that you were showing support for the NPAAU when you made your NPAAU membership payments.
- UNA alleged that NPAAU used coercion, intimidation, threats, promises and undue influence, and that NPAAU deceptively pulled a “bait and switch” that tricked Nurse Practitioners into thinking that you were joining NPAA when in fact you were joining NPAAU.
- UNA alleged that several NPAAU members didn’t make their own membership payments and that NPAAU allowed them to join anyways. UNA withdrew this objection on the first day of hearings after NPAAU gave evidence to UNA, AHS, and the ALRB which established that UNA’s objection was unfounded.
At the scheduled hearings, NPAAU vigorously defended both certification applications. Our position was not that our application process had been perfect. To the contrary: we are admittedly a new union, and we continue to learn as we go. We recognize and acknowledge that our communications, branding, and processes often could and should have been clearer and more precise to better inform Nurse Practitioners. Although we do not agree with UNA that these shortcomings effectively fooled or misled Nurse Practitioners, they have nevertheless highlighted opportunities for improvement going forward.
NPAAU’s decision to withdraw and re-apply will save time, save money, and benefit both the union and our applications.
Hearing and arguing the issues raised in UNA’s objections resulted in significant delays. Multiple written briefs were filed, and multiple witnesses were called upon during the initial hearings to provide testimony and to be examined on their evidence.
What began as a two-day hearing set to end in early July soon expanded to a five-day hearing scheduled to end in late September, with a decision expected in mid-October at the earliest. And that was only for the AHS hearing; the Covenant Health hearing was largely adjourned until after the AHS matter had been decided. A decision on the Covenant Health hearing was not expected until late October or early November.
As we noted in our news release of July 21, 2021, when faced with these extreme delays, the NPAAU Board canvassed its options and determined that it would be less expensive, more timely, and ultimately more effective to withdraw the existing certification applications and to re-submit new ones after the required 90-day wait period. In the meantime, NPAAU is able to refine our approach, continue to build our organization and membership, and remove any doubt of the growing support that Nurse Practitioners have shown for a union for NPs by NPs.
NPAAU will become eligible to re-apply for certification on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. With the support of our members, that’s what we aim to do, and we continue to be on track towards this goal.
NPAAU welcomes your input and participation!
The NPAAU as an organization, and we as your elected Board members, are already taking steps to improve our communications, branding, and processes to better serve you, our valued members and colleagues.
Our next step is to choose a new name for the union that the union that will be more clearly distinct and separate from the NPAA. We’ve presented a number of options to you, our members, and we’re very happy with the results of the poll and with your positive feedback!
Accordingly, we have called a special meeting of the Board on Thursday, September 9, 2021 to amend our existing Constitution to reflect the new name of the union and to make other proposed changes designed to bolster the organization and to engage our members. Although the Board will have the final vote at this special meeting, we will first hear and consider feedback from our members: attendees will be given the opportunity to voice your comments and we strongly encourage you to attend. All members should have received notice of the special meeting, including the proposed changes to our existing Constitution, by email on August 6, 2021. If you did not receive that notice, please contact either me or our Vice-President, Anne Summach, at the email addresses below.
In the meantime, we encourage you to read the existing Constitution, to make notes, and to attend our upcoming townhall meeting on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. We will do our best to address your questions there.
Should you or any member have any questions or concerns about this or any other communication, kindly direct your correspondence to me or to your Vice-President, Anne Summach, so that we can connect with you directly, address your questions and concerns thoroughly, and provide you and other Nurse Practitioners with accurate and up-to-date information.
Thank you for your ongoing support and participation as we continue to lay groundwork for this new union of Nurse Practitioners across Alberta!
Respectfully,
Mary-Elizabeth Cooper NP
President, NPAA Union.
YOU have a say in the Nurse Practitioner union’s new name!
YOU have a say in the Nurse Practitioner union’s new name!
We’ve listened to Nurse Practitioners across the province, and we’ve heard your message loud and clear: the name of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta – Union (NPAAU) is too similar to the existing name of our sister organization the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta (NPAA). The two organizations are certainly very different, so it makes sense to find a new name for our union that’s as distinctive and as unique as our members are!
It’s time to adopt a new name for the Nurse Practitioner union. The Board of the (for-now-still-named) NPAAU will soon hold a special meeting to consider this and other amendments to our Constitution. Meeting details will follow soon and we encourage all members of the union to attend. In the meantime, we’d love to get your feedback and your preferred name options!
Please click on the link below and help us identify your top choices for the union’s new name:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnTT_OmIR0Jqn-1x5OxpugZdpZoJGuXAQlR6O6LcgF-r4Qzg/viewform
NPAAU Withdraws current ALRB certification applications and will re-apply
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: [email protected]
July 21, 2021 https://abnursepractitioners.nationbuilder.com/contact
Good afternoon,
Earlier today, the NPAAU chose to withdraw its two active certification applications before the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) – one covering the Nurse Practitioners employed at Alberta Health Services (AHS) and one covering the Nurse Practitioners employed at Covenant Health. Here is why the NPAAU Board made this difficult decision and how we will move forward.
Although the ALRB officer’s report confirmed that the NPAAU had received far more than the required support of over 40% of Nurse Practitioners at both AHS and Covenant Health, the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) disputed this finding and raised numerous additional objections to both of NPAAU’s applications. Accordingly, hearings were scheduled for both applications in order to address UNA’s objections and also to determine whether or not the bargaining unit that NPAAU applied for in each case was appropriate.
Hearing and arguing these issues has caused significant delays. The AHS hearing began as a two-day hearing in early July and soon expanded into a five-day hearing scheduled to end in late September, and a decision on the AHS application was not expected until October. The Covenant Health hearing began as a two-day hearing in late July, and was in large part adjourned until after the decision for the AHS application. As a result, a decision for the Covenant Health application was not expected until late October or early November.
The NPAAU Board found these delays unacceptable. Nurse Practitioners across the province have shown their support for a union by Nurse Practitioners, for Nurse Practitioners. You expect NPAAU to act in the best interests of Nurse Practitioners at all times, including doing what is necessary to put forward the strongest possible case for NPAAU to be the certified bargaining agent for our membership. NPAAU aims to deliver. And in this case, we found that it would be less expensive, more timely, and ultimately more effective to simply withdraw both active certification applications and to re-submit new ones after the required 90-day period. Having withdrawn the applications earlier today, NPAAU will become eligible to re-apply for certification on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. And, with the support of our members, that’s what we aim to do.
When NPAAU re-applies for certification for AHS and Covenant Health, we expect that UNA or another party will once again raise objections to our new applications. A significant benefit of withdrawing from the current applications is that we can take steps to further strengthen our next applications against the critiques that UNA has raised.
Over the next 90 days, NPAAU intends to proactively improve upon our recruitment process and continue our commitment to addressing the needs and concerns of our members and Nurse Practitioners at large. We will refresh our branding and communications, and reconnect with you to hear and respond to your comments and questions. You have a choice of who you want to represent you at the collective bargaining table. Your voice deserves to be recognized. And your support matters now more than ever.
Thank you for your continued support of NPAAU throughout this process. It is our hope that, by withdrawing from the current applications, we will not only save time and expense, but also seize the opportunity to build upon the formidable groundwork that has now been laid for this new union of Nurse Practitioners across the province.
Sincerely,
Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta – Union (NPAAU)
Update - July 5th, 2021
Here is a quick update of where we are.
The vote was completed on June 18th and the votes will remain sealed and will not be counted until the objections that have been brought forward to the ALRB are heard. Those hearings are scheduled through July where our lawyer team is presenting evidence to refute or answer the objections.
The Alberta Counsel lawyer’s bill is $ 125,000.00 and counting, which is not unexpected for the amount of work they are doing. A payment plan will be set up once NPAAU is certified and a completed CBA has been established. NPAA funds will also go to help pay this bill as NPAA initiated this process according to the members' support.
Once the vote has been counted and we have been certified, then the team will move forward with trying to start collective bargaining. Any further updates will be sent out as the information becomes available. It is unlikely we will hear about the vote before early August.
If anyone has any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to Anne or myself at [email protected] or [email protected].
Thank-you everyone for your support. We will let you know once the vote has been completed.
Sincerely,
President, Mary-Elizabeth Cooper NP
Vice President, Anne Summach
Just the Facts
NPAAU aims to provide NPs with valuable and relevant information. We want NPs to be informed about the entire unionization process and have worked hard to make ourselves available for any questions. We have and will continue, to host weekly Q&A sessions (now occurring twice a week!) to address any, and all NPs, who join in.
For those that are unable to make it, and would like a brief summary of 'Just the Facts' please see the following document:
NPAAU Submits Labour Relations Board Application!
Message: Release: NPAAU Submits Labour Relations Board Application for AHS and Covenant Health NPs!
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: [email protected]
April 27, 2021 https://abnursepractitioners.nationbuilder.com/contact
NPAAU Submits Labour Relations Board Application for AHS and Covenant Health NPs!
EDMONTON, Alberta – Today, the NPAAU filed an application to the Alberta Labour Relations Board (“ALRB”) to become the bargaining agent for AHS and Covenant Health nurse practitioners.
“This is a historic achievement for Nurse Practitioners in Alberta,” President Mary-Elizabeth Cooper said. “I would like to thank the tireless volunteers for their hard work, and the overwhelming support from NPs across the province who have joined our movement. We all built this organization together and, with your continued support, we are one step closer to becoming the voice of NPs in Alberta!”
Next Steps
The next steps include review of the application by the ALRB and an eventual vote. David Froelich, with decades of union & bargaining experience in Alberta, and Michelle Henderson, who has years of experience with national public unions, both reiterated that there is still work to be done: “We must continue the momentum and foster our growing team of supporters – if you want to join the team, don’t hesitate in joining us today!”
The Nurse Practitioners Association of Alberta – Union was formed to be the unique voice of NPs in Alberta. The NPAAU is supported by an experienced team of union organizers and negotiators and the law firm Alberta Counsel. The NPAA is dedicated to the representation of NPs by NPs.
Join the NPAAU https://abnursepractitioners.nationbuilder.com/join_us or volunteer https://abnursepractitioners.nationbuilder.com/volunteer today!